Sri Lanka tourism
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 Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2005 3:10 pm Post subject: SRI LANKA TRAVEL & INFORMATION TIPS |
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SRI LANKA TRAVEL & INFORMATION TIPS
Passport/Visa
Passport Required? Visa Required? Return Ticket Required?
British Yes No Yes
Australian Yes No Yes
Canadian Yes No Yes
USA Yes No Yes
OtherEU Yes No/1 Yes
Japanese Yes No Yes
PASSPORTS: Passport valid for at least six months from date of entry required by all.
VISAS: Required by all except nationals of the following countries, who will be issued with visas free of charge for a period of 30 days on arrival at Colombo Airport (for touristic visits only):
(a) nationals of those countries mentioned in the chart above (except 1. nationals of Malta and the Slovak Republic who do require a visa);
(b) nationals of Albania, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brunei, Bulgaria, China (PR, including Hong Kong), Croatia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Korea (Rep), Kuwait, Macedonia, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, The Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia & Montenegro, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates;
(c) nationals of CIS countries.
Note: All business visitors require a visa.
Types of visa and cost: Tourist and Business: £38 (up to three months); fee given is for UK nationals. Fees vary according to nationality; contact the Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy or High Commission); see Contact Addresses section. Multiple-entry visas cost £114 (three months) or £189 (12 months).
Validity: As above. Visitors can request to extend their stay by applying to the Department of Immigration & Emigration, 23 Station Road, Colombo 3 (tel: (1) 259 7513; fax: (1) 259 7511). This is issued at the discretion of the authorities who must be satisfied that the applicant has at least US$30 per day for the stay and holds an onward or return ticket for travel.
Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy or High Commission); see Contact Addresses section. British nationals, travelling as tourists, may obtain a visa upon arrival, upon port of entry into Sri Lanka, for up to 30 days.
Application requirements: (a) Valid passport. (b) Completed application form. (c) Two passport-size photos signed on the back by applicant. (d) Visa fee, payable by cash (not if sending by post) or postal order. (e) Self-addressed envelope, with appropriate cost of stamps necessary for returning passport by registered post. (f) Proof of sufficient funds (minimum US$30 per day) for duration of stay. (g) Return or onward ticket. Business: (a)-(g) and, (h) A letter from the company or organisation recommending the issue of visa and giving details of the status of the applicant, nature of business, duration of stay, sufficient funds and details of the party, if available in Sri Lanka, with whom the business is to be conducted, along with a letter from that company/organisation in Sri Lanka.
Working days required: At least three.
Temporary residence: Enquire at Embassy or High Commission.
Money
Currency: Sri Lanka Rupee (SLRe, singular; SLRs, plural) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of SLRs1000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 2. Coins are in denominations of SLRs10, 5, 2 and 1, and 50, 25, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents. There are also large numbers of commemorative coins in circulation.
Currency exchange: Foreign currency must be changed only at authorised exchanges, banks and hotels, and these establishments must endorse such exchanges on the visitor’s Exchange Control D form, which is issued on arrival and must usually be returned at the time of departure.
Credit & debit cards: American Express, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. Diners Club has more limited acceptance. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.
Travellers cheques: The rate of exchange for travellers cheques is better than the rate of exchange for cash. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling.
Currency restrictions: The import and export of local currency is limited to SLRs1000. The import of notes from India and Pakistan is not allowed, otherwise, the import of foreign currency is not restricted but all amounts over US$5000 are subject to declaration. Export of foreign currency is limited to the amount declared on import.
Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Sri Lanka Rupee against Sterling and the US Dollar:
Date May '04 Aug '04 Nov '04 Feb '05
£1.00= 175.93 189.62 196.34 187.95
$1.00= 98.50 102.92 104.94 99.52
Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1300. Some city banks close at 1500, whilst some even have night bank facilities.
Duty Free
The following items may be imported into Sri Lanka by visitors aged 18 years and over without incurring customs duty:
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 340g of tobacco; 2 bottles of wine and 1.5l of spirits; a small quantity of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette.
Prohibited items: Firearms, explosives and dangerous weapons; ivory; antiques, statues and treasures; old books; animals/birds/reptiles (dead or alive) and parts; tea; rubber; coconut plants; dangerous drugs.
Note: (a) Only two members of the same family travelling together are entitled to free import allowances. (b) Valuable personal effects (including jewellery), must be declared on arrival in Sri Lanka. (c) There is no gift allowance.
Health
Special Precautions Certificate Required
1: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over one year of age from infected areas.
2: Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera vaccination certificate is not a condition of entry to Sri Lanka. However, cholera is a serious risk in this country and precautions are essential. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness; see the Health appendix.
3: Typhoid occurs in rural areas.
4: Malaria risk, predominantly in the benign vivax form, exists throughout the year, except in the districts of Colombo, Galle, Kalutara and Nuwara Eliya. The malignant falciparum strain is also present and is reported to be highly resistant to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. The recommended prophylaxis is chloroquine plus proguanil.
Food & drink: All water should be regarded as being potentially contaminated. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Bottled water and a variety of mineral waters are available at most hotels. Unpasteurised milk should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Pasteurised and sterilised milk is available in some hotels and shops. Avoid dairy products made with unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Pork, salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.
Other risks: Hepatitis A, B and E are present and precautions should be taken. Dengue fever occurs.
Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, consult the Health appendix.
Health care: Treatment is free at government hospitals and dispensaries; 24-hour treatment is available at Colombo General Hospital. Some hotels also have doctors.
SRI LANKA TRAVEL DO'S AND DON'TS
Do visit an Ayurvedic spa. Ayurvedic medicine, which developed in India, uses natural products to treat illness. Even if you're not sick, you can still enjoy an oil massage or a steam bath at one of the many Ayurvedic centers around the island.
Don't forget that Colombo is divided into 15 postal zones, and that address numbers repeat themselves from zone to zone. Along Galle Road for instance, which passes through several zones, you might find seven buildings with an address of 110 Galle Road.
Do carry an umbrella. Sri Lankans use them constantly - as parasols if it's sunny or as umbrellas if it's raining (it's always doing one or the other).
Do take in a performance of traditional music and dance at night. Many hotels offer dinner and performance packages.
Do be careful buying the Sri Lankan version of fast food - the curried meat, fish or vegetable packets sold on the street at lunchtime. Their cleanliness can be suspect.
Do handle all security delays as the Sri Lankans do - with a smile.
Do have a drink of fresh coconut water by the side of the road. For about Re10, a vendor will lop the top of the fruit and put a straw in the hole, giving you a safe and delicious tropical drink. Be more careful about other fresh fruit juices - outside tourist hotels they may be mixed with unpurified water.
Do send postcards from post offices, and ask the attendant to cancel the stamp, or it's unlikely the postcard will reach its destination.
Don't wear skimpy clothing at holy sites or on city streets.
Do be friendly but firm with beggars and street vendors: Don't forget to smile.
Do be aware that Sri Lankans shake their heads side to side to say "no" but use a slightly similar wobbling of the head to indicate "ok." While its confusing at first, you will get the hang of it after awhile.
Don't expect to find a line at a bank, post office or anywhere else. Sri Lankans don't form lines, so don't be shy about pushing forward.
Do be aware that not all "gem museums" in Ratnapura are true museums - some are nothing more than showrooms.
Don't forget to take off your shoes if you enter a temple or mosque.
Do take along toiletries, cosmetics, medicine and film.
Don't take pictures of people unless you ask their permission. Don't take photos of people if there are religious buildings or shrines in the background (posing next to a Buddha is especially frowned upon). And don't take photos of military installations, bridges, airports or other strategic areas. Even some religious buildings have camouflaged gun emplacements and military bunkers.
Do watch your step - Sri Lanka leads the world in death by snake bite per capita. |
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